Welcome to NASIOC - The world's largest online community for Subaru enthusiasts!

Welcome to the NASIOC.com Subaru forum.

You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, free of charge, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

It's funny, there is an small but passionate group of enthusiast hatch lovers when it seems that the US market as a whole prefers a sedan. The hatch looks bloaty, not mean. To be fair, neither does the current sedan, but I'm guessing the new STI sedan will differ in appearance more than just a STI badge on the back.

It's even funnier when it is backed up with facts like "structural rigidity of the hatch style" that only hold true if are performance driving on the very, very edge like WRC (and even then engine position is more important).

I've also heard a salesman at my dealership that they'd be selling the old styles without issue. My dealership ended up selling their 3 '08 STI's to another dealership during the blowout last year after having them sit on the lot all year.

Speaking of which, that blowout should've been a sign that the platform wasn't popular outside aforementioned enthusiast group. They weren't undercutting other models like that (not even the universally reviled Legacy 3.0). And they didn't exactly pump out '09 STIs either...

Speaking of which, that blowout should've been a sign that the platform wasn't popular outside aforementioned enthusiast group. They weren't undercutting other models like that (not even the universally reviled Legacy 3.0). And they didn't exactly pump out '09 STIs either...

You have poor reading comprehension, or are just knee-jerking the same response that every hatch defender whips out when the blow-out is brought up. The STI was the only model getting blown out like that. Not even the beyond-useless Legacy 3.0 got that type of deal.

The recession et al certainly didn't help anybody, but it affects everyone across the board - it didn't single out the poor '08 STI.

Subaru got bold and tried something new with the STI hatch. And it didn't work out nearly as well as they'd hoped.

I heard yesterday from my sales guy (who is pretty clued in to Subie happenings) that Subaru is now testing their new CVT in their diesel. Makes sense if they're going to sell the diesel here. It's also a good indication as to how strong this CVT is, if it can handle the torque from that engine.

Subaru got bold and tried something new with the STI hatch. And it didn't work out nearly as well as they'd hoped.

No... They got smart and listened to their rally drivers, who kept asking for a more aerodynamic and structurally sound hatchback design, as most of the cars performing so well in rallies were hatches and did so for those reasons. The five door was not an attempt to sell more cars, it was an attempt to become more in tune with actual performance and the STI's rally heritage. If anything, that deserves respect and admiration, seeing as Subaru probably knew that many of their 4D lovers would be turned away.

And concerning your previous post, if you don't care about how the car handles under performance conditions, then why did you buy a sports car in the first place???

No... They got smart and listened to their rally drivers, who kept asking for a more aerodynamic and structurally sound hatchback design, as most of the cars performing so well in rallies were hatches and did so for those reasons. The five door was not an attempt to sell more cars, it was an attempt to become more in tune with actual performance and the STI's rally heritage. If anything, that deserves respect and admiration, seeing as Subaru probably knew that many of their 4D lovers would be turned away.

And concerning your previous post, if you don't care about how the car handles under performance conditions, then why did you buy a sports car in the first place???

+1

I was a huge hater when the GR came out...now look what I drive. Couldn't ever go back to a Sedan after owning this STI. Performance + Utility = Awesome.

No... They got smart and listened to their rally drivers, who kept asking for a more aerodynamic and structurally sound hatchback design, as most of the cars performing so well in rallies were hatches and did so for those reasons. The five door was not an attempt to sell more cars, it was an attempt to become more in tune with actual performance and the STI's rally heritage. If anything, that deserves respect and admiration, seeing as Subaru probably knew that many of their 4D lovers would be turned away.

And concerning your previous post, if you don't care about how the car handles under performance conditions, then why did you buy a sports car in the first place???

Yep, agreed. I recall Solberg mentioning that he kinda insisted on the hatch (and then further that they should've put the engine further back).

That said, all other things being equal, you and I aren't going to notice the difference between a hatch and sedan - it's only going to make a difference at the limit. Unless you rally professionally, that is.

I stand by my statement that outside some dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts, the market largely rejected the hatch.

The guy who sold me my Impreza recovered from an embarassing situation pretty well IMHO.

He had me test one car and while I was out found out that another car with less miles and in better shape had come back out from a hold. He showed it to me and started it up, at which point the low-fuel light came on. He said "I like to demo the low-fuel light, it's kind of my niche as a salesman." Well, there was definitely low fuel in the car - 30 seconds later it coughed and stalled out (it was 20 degrees outside as well). He said "Ahh, you see! Low-fuel light works perfectly!"

No... They got smart and listened to their rally drivers, who kept asking for a more aerodynamic and structurally sound hatchback design, as most of the cars performing so well in rallies were hatches and did so for those reasons. The five door was not an attempt to sell more cars, it was an attempt to become more in tune with actual performance and the STI's rally heritage. If anything, that deserves respect and admiration, seeing as Subaru probably knew that many of their 4D lovers would be turned away.

A hatch is stiffer in the WRC because they fill the whole backseat/trunkspace with the roll cage's cross bracing. So the increased stiffness in a 2009 Impreza WRX WRC shouldn't be fully attributed to the change from the sedan to the hatch, but the compounded effect of a redesigned roll cage that was enabled by the body style change. Yes, a hatch could create much less drag than a sedan, with the proper rear diffuser(s).

I'm guessing the new STI sedan will differ in appearance more than just a STI badge on the back.

If I recall, somewhere on this board is a pic of a Japanese Impreza sedan that basically has the wheel flares of the US STi 5-door on the US Sedan body. I'm pretty sure that will be your STi sedan body.

I think going back to sedan would be a huge mistake as real sports cars aren't usually sedans. If anything, I'd rather them make it a three door and no, I don't mean the stupid RWD Toyota abomination...